A few days later, Sylvia let out a satisfied sigh as blood flowed from her hands and congealed into a floating orb. Two bands of red metal floated up to it.

  “Finally, I got one,” she muttered.

  It was a rather gruesome scene. A body draped over a cold, bloodied metal table, its back flayed open, revealing its spine.

  “Didn’t think surgeon would be a new job title for you, doc,” I said playfully.

  Sylvia rolled her eyes at me as she gently lifted the limp arm and bit into it. The open wound began knitting together, the metal pieces holding the skin back were carried away by trails of blood as fresh tendons formed over the white bone. Red flesh covered and eventually turned into skin; not even so much as a scar remained on the person.

  It was Sylvia’s third attempt at removing the obedience collars implanted into the people. After a few days of training and learning, she performed the first operation on a gang lord, but it failed. The collars were linked; removing one without the other resulted in instant death. The second surgery went better, but the method of removing them at the same time didn’t work as planned, and the person died.

  One band was placed on the cervical spine; removing it by normal means was already difficult enough. If someone were using light magic to remove it, the process would be nearly impossible. The act of taking it off could kill someone alone, and the instant death far outpaced someone’s mental ability to form a spell core, even if it was primed beforehand. Blood Magic was most likely the only possible route of saving them.

  “How many more are there?” Sylvia sighed.

  “We have just over a hundred,” Lin answered in her garbled voice.

  “Wonderful…” Sylvia groaned.

  “At least we understand the process now. It wouldn’t be impossible to do three or four at a time. We’ve learned enough and can assist you through nearly the entire process. We can even take over the post-healing ourselves,” Lin said as she examined the person.

  “It’s as expected; they lost a lot of blood, but with time, they will recover. You’ve already seen to it to strengthen the others?” Sylvia asked.

  Lin nodded and explained, “Although they won’t eat themselves and we have to force them…we can at least strengthen them by letting them rest properly and making sure they are prepared for the surgery beforehand.”

  “How about our special guest? Have there been any cases of microsleep yet?” I asked.

  Lin’s hooded figure gazed at me, and I could already imagine the smile behind it. “Not yet, but he’s having a challenging time catching some sleep. I suppose there was a reason Brax banned those dungeon items for being a public nuisance. But he’s well-trained, so he won’t go down that easily because of them. I imagine it will be another day or so before he really begins to break down,” she said.

  “Good, keep me posted. Make sure he doesn’t completely crumble. If his mind goes, that will be it for him. I’m heading back to the office,” I said.

  “Surgery, torture, and office work, what a fascinating double life you live,” Lin chuckled.

  “Learned it from a friend,” I said with a smirk.

  —

  “Can’t you eat somewhere else?” I asked with a sigh.

  Padraic put down his half-eaten sandwich and shrugged. “What, how was I supposed to know you weren’t hungry? Can’t a man eat lunch with his damn friend? Is it a crime or something?”

  “My complaint isn’t that you are here…but that sandwich is falling apart on my nice table,” I said.

  Padraic looked hurt as he grumbled, “I’m going to clean it up. I’m not some slob, you know. Moms taught me right.”

  I just rolled my eyes. In truth, it wasn’t a problem. But giving him a hard time was fun enough as it was.

  However, I didn’t even manage to wet my quill when there was a knock. “Sir, a guest is here to see you. Says her name is Veme. Her name was on the list.”

  Veme?

  “Of course, bring her in,” I answered.

  The door opened, and sure enough, it was Veme, albeit she was wearing far more casual clothes than I had ever seen her in. Her usual adventurer garb was nowhere to be seen. She smiled softly as she waved to me but her eyes drifted to Padraic.

  The oof just gazed at her with a half-open jaw as he slowly turned his head to me. His eyes narrowed into slits as he pointed a finger, an accusatory finger at me.

  “Kaladin,” he said darkly.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Don’t what me. I see the resemblance. As your brother, I can’t condone this. If she knew…I dread the thought. Your fancy table would be the least of your worries,” he warned.

  All I could do was sigh. “Shut up. It’s not like that at all. Veme is a good friend; you’ve met Bella before. They are adventurer partners,” I said.

  Padraic's eyes widened as he nodded to himself. “Hard to forget that one…” he mumbled.

  Veme looked awkward standing in the doorway as she motioned for her to sit. “Ignore this fool, please. He can’t help himself from making a scene at my expense,” I said.

  As she sat down, Padraic reached out to greet her, but his hands still had grease on them from his sandwich. He pulled his hand back and chuckled as Veme merely smiled at him.

  “He’s a funny one,” she said softly.

  “I see why she’s your friend. Has good taste,” Padraic chuckled.

  “That was an insult, by the way,” I said quickly.

  Veme giggled, but Padraic had a smile as he attended to his lunch. “How have you been? Retirement treating you well?” I asked.

  “It’s been…a change. But I’ve been well,” she responded dryly.

  Some things never change.

  Knowing her personality, I cut to the main point. “What can I do for you?” I asked.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  A flash of relief washed over her usual stoic face, but it slowly faded into something else. Her face flushed as she avoided my eyes. I was about to ask what the problem was when she meekly blurted out.

  “I need help making a baby…”

  …

  Padraic let out a choking noise as he began to cough uncontrollably. As he managed to swallow his food, he looked right at me with a genuine shock in his eyes. I had to admit I was a bit surprised, but I understood her intentions regardless.

  I could only shake my head and ask, “You know I’m no doctor or healer, right? Surely there is someone more qualified who could help you?”

  Veme shrugged. “I don’t know any doctors, and healers are expensive…and they can’t heal me if I’m not hurt?” she said with a tilt of her head.

  “But why me?” I questioned.

  “Because I trust you? And I already tried Bella’s ideas…” she mumbled.

  Haha…I can only imagine. Well, I at least have an idea.

  “Could you show me just your stomach?” I asked.

  Padraic let out another loud cough, but I glared at him, and he shrugged to himself with a smirk. For her part, Veme didn’t even flinch and raised her shirt upon request. And it was, as I imagined. I could count each individual striation of her abdominal muscles. There wasn’t even a hint of fat on them.

  Veme was very physically fit from years of an active lifestyle. It was simple enough to notice just from the rest of her body, but this was a far better tell. I didn’t have an easy way to measure her body fat, but just seeing her abs in that state was enough to answer part of the problem.

  “That’s it?” she asked, confused.

  I chuckled and waved a hand for her to stop. “Yes, that’s all I needed to see. However, my next question is rather…private. Would you like that idiot behind you to leave?”

  Veme cocked her head behind her, looked Padraic up and down once, then shrugged. “It’s fine. If you trust him, then I will,” she said confidently.

  I pointed a finger at Padraic. “No jokes. This doesn’t need to leave the room, got it?” I warned.

  Padraic put a finger to his lips. “Lips are sealed, brother,” he chuckled.

  No point in dodging around it, I guess.

  “How often do you go into heat? And is it consistent, and is the intensity ‘normal’? Also, do you regularly consume anything to stop them?” I asked frankly.

  Veme faltered at that question. But in the end, she swallowed the embarrassment that showed just how serious she was to me and answered.

  “They are not regularly happening. It has been like that for years. Maybe once every few months? And I only take things when I absolutely need to, when on a job. I haven’t in years. As for the intensity…umm…less than Bella?” she said, unsure.

  Well, she isn’t a typical frame of reference. No need for the details…

  “I understand. And how often do you train? And how often do you train intensely?” I asked.

  “Every day that I’m not on a quest, even then, I train if I can. And I train til I’m tired. Running, sparring, all of it, I do to my limits,” she said proudly and with a smile.

  Makes sense. That attitude and training are probably what have kept her alive in this line of work for so long.

  “And how many times do you eat in a day?” I asked.

  Veme looked confused at my question, but answered, “When I’m hungry? Doesn’t everyone eat when they're hungry?”

  “So…three? Four times a day?” I questioned.

  “No, more like two. Once after I train and dinner? Mostly,” Veme said with a light shrug.

  With those questions answered, it all confirmed my thoughts. Of course, there could be an underlying genetic problem or issues arising from her unfortunate circumstances in childhood. But clearly her current habits were causing an issue.

  Veme may be middle-aged for a Beastman, but she should still be able to have children. However, with such a low body fat percentage and such intense exercise, it was clearly creating some issues. And even if Beastman biology was different from Humans, it wasn’t entirely dissimilar.

  “Then I recommend two things. Cut your exercise time and intensity in half. And eat more often to gain some weight,” I said.

  Veme’s expression sank slightly. “I…have to be fat and lazy?” she asked, confused.

  Padraic let out a snicker, and even I had to chuckle a bit. “No, not fat and lazy. How to say this…you are currently putting your body under a lot of stress. It may have helped you as a warrior, but right now, as a future mother, it’s harming you. You don’t need to gain a lot of weight, just some,” I explained.

  Veme tilted her head to the side. “How will I know enough is enough? Do I need to be as big as Bella…?” she asked.

  I chuckled and shook my head as I said, “No, not at all. Take your time; it will be a long process, so don’t stuff yourself like a madman. But I assure you, in a few months, you’ll notice a difference. Of course, I can’t guarantee anything. It’s just an idea I had.”

  Veme nodded to herself as she stood up. “I understand. I’ll do that then,” she said confidently.

  I stood up as I walked her to the door. Her brows tightened in deep thought. But before we reached the door, she looked up at me and smiled.

  “Thank you. You’ve changed a lot,” she said softly.

  “Have I? Well, perhaps I have. And of course, I owe you and Bella a great deal. You could have made my life very hard if you wanted to back then,” I said earnestly.

  As she left, I waved to her and said, “When your husband comes into town, make sure you stop by before you leave again. I’d like to meet him.”

  Veme nodded and waved back before being escorted out. Padraic let out a chuckle and said, “She’s an odd one. I see why you two got along back in the day.”

  “She’s a good soul,” I said honestly.

  Padraic nodded to himself as he took a drink of his water and looked up at me. “So…are you going to tell the other two they need to gain some weight? Can’t imagine that’s going to go over well though…” Padraic said with a grin.

  “One of these days, you are going to run into someone who won’t tolerate you. And I promise I’ll let them beat some sense into you.”

  —

  Sylas Paine’s POV.

  “Mmm…this should be enough for safety—no moisture in the air or open flames. I had one of the earth mages make this stone box. If ignited from a distance, I should be fine,” I said to myself.

  Kaladin said I should take the utmost caution, especially with the first few tests. But finding this ingredient formed of naturally decaying animal and plant waste…what a nuisance and oddity.

  "This should be far enough? As long as I hide behind the wall and it actually works, that is,” I mumbled.

  I devised a simple, rudimentary test. A stone housing held the powder, and I would drop a match from a distance down a chimney with a long stick. Honestly, it felt like overkill, but Kaladin assured me safety was of the utmost concern. And if he, of all people, said so, then it had to be the case.

  I ignited the match and ferried it over to the stone housing with the stick. As I reached the top, I dumped it into the chimney and hid behind the wall. Not even a breath of time, and it happened.

  Boom.

  My ears rang as the dust cloud shot out from the doorway and into the hallway. Through the incessant ringing, I could hear the stone pieces fly away and impact the walls with great force.

  After the dust settled, I dared to look inside the room. I was immediately thankful I decided to use the underground facility, as I was sure that explosion would have caused a ruckus. The stone housing was barely standing; most of it had ceased to be.

  With nothing more than a palm full of that powder, the effects were that aggressive. I couldn’t help but be shocked.

  Why would Kaladin ask me to make something like this? If he came up with it…then how? And wouldn’t he know this would go against my goal of helping people? I can’t—

  “No…that’s not the right way to think about this,” I muttered.

  If Kaladin could come up with this, why wouldn’t someone else? If this powder was that violent and it was made without a hint of magic, couldn’t anyone use it? If an enemy nation were to get a hold of it…the damage would be unimaginable.

  I let my mind dip into my Spatial Ring as a crate materialized out of thin air. I was told to open it upon my first successful test. Whether that was successful or not, I deemed it as such.

  Inside was a stack of papers and some supplies. I immediately set myself upon the documents as I quickly read through them. They contained some more detailed information about what I had created and the goals I needed to achieve. As well as its future applications.

  As I continuedcontiuned to read, I became more and more stunned by the monster I had unleashed. But understanding still dawned on me all the same. This “gunpowder” was simply inevitable. It was only a wonder Kaladin had found it first.

  Kaladin…what kind of man are you?